I just made cinnamon rolls… by baking on the grill!

I was  Baking Outside the Box today — the big box — that is, the house. As I planned my 3 meals for the family reunion that I will prepare and share with everyone, I thought that for breakfast cinnamon rolls would be a sweet addition to the usual bacon and eggs.

There was a hang-up; the heat. I will be making cinnamon rolls at Lake Powell. No one wants to warm up the kitchen on a houseboat first thing in the morning. It’s going to get hot enough  without any help from me.

As you know, my sister-in-law showed me how to make pizza on the grill last year. I wondered if it was possible to bake sweet rolls in the grill with acceptable results. I researched it online and decided to attempt it. I went out and bought some Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls, Cinnabon Style. (And no apologies here for not making them from scratch…these sweet rolls are good. 🙂 )

Here’s how you can do your baking on grill:

1. On a 4 burner grill: Turn on the 2 outer burners on the grill and leave the 2 center ones off. (You want indirect heat.)

2. Heat the grill to the desired temperature. I have a gauge on the hood of my grill, but you can use an oven heat gauge and hang it inside the grill. (You may have to play with it a bit to learn how to get the temperature you want.)

3. Line your pan with parchment and spray it with cooking spray. (I used a 9″ round pan, but just be sure it is small enough to fit in the center of the grill.)

4. Here is the sweet secret that is essential to the success of this project; Don’t sit the pan of baked goods directly on the grill!  The bottom may burn while the top is still doughy.  Flip a heavy cookie sheet over (or other pan that won’t warp in the heat, see picture,) and place it in the center of the grill between the two burners that are  on.

5. Don’t peek! Place your pan of treats in the grill and shut the lid and wait. Well, OK, maybe a little peek. Keep in mind that every time you open the lid a lot of heat escapes.

As you can see, this method worked beautifully for me the very first time. Now I want to try chocolate chip cookies! Just think – fresh chocolate chip cookies in the summer without heating up the house. (Here’s my chocolate chip cookie recipe.) Enjoy! –Laura

Thanks to these inspirations:

Completely Delicious

Zoe Bakes

Say Not Sweet Anne